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From our fabulous News Hawks!

Have you seen a TG-related news story online or in your local paper? Send it in to TGF and become a News Hawk! Don't assume we know everything that's out there, because you are our eyes and ears. To file a story, send it in to Cindy.

TS Hearts
Discussed by Docs

Contributed by Elizabeth Parker
via Australian Associated Press
August 6, 1998

PERTH - The world's top heart surgeons met in Perth today in the biggest annual medical conference ever held in Australia. International cardiac experts are taking part in the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Cardiac society of Australia and New Zealand to discuss all aspects of heart disease and heart health. Key speakers will include Dr Roger Mee from USA's Cleveland Clinic who is considered one of the best children's heart surgeons in the world, Dr Steve Humphries of London's University College - an expert on genetics of heart disease and renowned heart surgeon Dr Tirone E David from Toronto, who will deliver the Victor Chang Memorial lecture. The conference will focus on a wide range of issues including heart disease in transsexuals, painless surgery, new drug therapy and the effects of vitamen E supplements on heart health. The conference will run for three days.

TS Soldier's Job
Under Review

Contributed by ElizabethParker
via Reuters
August 6, 1998

LONDON - A British army medical board checked on Thursday to see if the force's first transsexual sergeant major was fit enough to be a soldier. Joseph Rushton, a 37-year-old soldier who started taking hormone treatment to become a woman nearly two years ago, has said he believed he would stay in the army.

But defence officials said the medical board had to determine whether Rushton met the army's fitness standards. "We have no policy on transsexuals... but we have to determine if he's fit to carry on serving," a defence official said. He said a sex change and the physiological alterations Rushton has already undergone in his battle to become a woman could make him fail the army's minimum standard for fitness. Rushton, who plans to become Joanne in the new year after a sex change, earlier said the army had been "incredibly understanding."

"I'm considered a first class soldier -- I can blow up bridges, ski down mountains and free-fall from the skies. But in my heart I just want to be a woman," he said. The soldier, who has married four times and has one son, could be discharged from the army on medical grounds if he does not meet army standards.

NJ TS Has Death Sentence Cancelled

Contributed by Sharon Marie
via Asbury Park Press
August 5, 1998

TRENTON --- The state Supreme Court yesterday overturned the death sentence of Leslie Nelson, the 40-year-old transsexual who killed two law enforcement officers during a 1995 shootout at her Camden County home.

The court said prosecutors failed to tell Nelson about evidence that could have helped sway a jury to spare her life. It marked the first time in almost two years the state's highest court has tossed out a death sentence. Attorney General Peter Verniero said the state will present its case to another death penalty jury as soon as possible. The decisions come at a time when the state's highest court, under fire from critics who say it moves too slowly on death penalty cases, is facing the prospect of new changes to the state's capital punishment law aimed at hastening executions. A study commission, appointed by Gov. Whitman, is putting the final touches on a report that out-lines ways to speed up the lengthy appeals process for death penalty cases. No one has been executed since New Jersey re-established the death penalty in 1982.

Nelson killed two law enforcement officers and seriously wounded another in a 12-hour siege outside her home in Haddon Heights in 1995. She pleaded guilty to capital murder and aggravated assault. During her death penalty trial. her lawyers also said the officers were not adequately trained to handle a situation with an armed. mentally ill person. After she was sentenced to death, it was revealed that the officer who was wounded in the standoff, Richard Norcross, had already sued the Camden County prosecutors office and Haddon Heights, saying he had not received proper training.

"Had the jury been aware that this crucial witness.. . agreed with defendant that inadequate police training had sparked defendant's violent reaction, it is at least reasonably probable that an additional juror or jurors," may have looked more favorably on her arguments, Justice Daniel J, O'Hern wrote in the majority opinion.

Nelson was expected to be transferred from death row to the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Hunterdon County by today.

"It's always encouraging when in a particularly difficult case your arguments win the day for you," said Dale Jones, an assistant public defender in charge of death penalty cases."There is no real pure victory in capital litigation. It's a remand fornew trial."

Sex Change Cop
Loses Suit

Contributed by Elizabeth Parker
via PA News
August 6, 1998

A former British Transport policeman who became a woman has lost her sexdiscrimination claim against her union.

Lynsay Watson, who was formerly Alex Horwood, took the British Transport Police Federation to an industrial tribunal claiming sex discrimination. Miss Watson, of Altyre Court, Glenrothes, claimed the federation failed to pay for her legal action against the police, using a lawyer of her choice specialising in transsexual cases. She also accused it of "pure obstinacy" in refusing to use her new name when communicating with her, continuing to call her Alex Horwood instead. Miss Watson wanted compensation for injury to feelings and her legal fees but the Edinburgh tribunal rejected her case. She said BTP Federation chairman Mike Bevan at first agreed to support her legal fight and the first bill was paid. But, she said, this support was later withdrawn. She also claimed there was a conspiracy between the federation and police management. Mr Bevan, however, denied collaborating with the police. He said he did not know about the name change until a later stage, and that Miss Watson had failed to complete a form recording the change. He also explained there were limited funds for legal assistance.

At the hearing, she claimed British Transport Police tried to ban her from taking hormones as part of her treatment and told her she would be reported to the procurator fiscal if she arrived for work as a woman. She started as a police constable at Kirkcaldy in 1989 but seven years later she informed management she was to undergo a "gender reassignment operation" and needed permission to assume a female role -- but this was refused. Miss Watson said she was told she had to resume duty as a "uniform constable wearing the uniform appropriate to your male gender" and until further notice she was to "adopt the dress and appearance of your male gender." And she added that she was transferred to Edinburgh because colleagues didn't want to work with her and she received a letter saying she should notify the force and provide doctors certificates if her gender was being changed permanently.

She was suspended in November 1996 after she took on a female role and appearance full-time and formally changed her name and sacked last September.

Miss Watson said she found it hurtful she was still being referred to as Alex Horwood in correspondence from the federation almost a year after her change of name. She believed she was refused assistance because of the nature of her case. The tribunal heard she was only told not to take hormones if they affected her ability to work in a railway environment.

In their findings, the tribunal said the federation, and Mr Bevan in particular, assisted her by allowing her to contact him at his private address and by paying some of her legal expenses. Although it did not meet her expectations, the tribunal said her expectations went beyond what would have been the expectations of a reasonable trade union member and she was not unfavourably treated.

The tribunal expressed sympathy with Miss Watson because of the difficulties she faced since her gender reassignment, but rejected her sex discrimination complaint. Miss Watson has since been dismissed and plans to take her former employers to another tribunal claiming she was unfairly sacked and a victim of sex discrimination.

Actors Sought For
Brandon Teena Movie

August 6, 1998

We are having an open casting call next WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12. Any chance anyone could pass on this info via e-mail, phone or poster to people who would be right for the part?

In October, Kimberly Peirce will be directing an independent feature film currently entitled "Take It Like A Man" inspired by the Brandon Teena story.

We are casting the role of "Lewis," (the Brandon Teena inspired part). We need a charismatic, charming, funny and handsome girl who looks 19-22 years old and can pull off the role of a girl who lived and loved as a man.

We appreciate all of the help we've gotten over the past couple of years, and now are asking for any names, numbers or ideas of people who may be right for this part.

If you could help us in any way--by mentioning the project to your friends, hanging up a poster, or, if you're a performer, making a submission--we'd be really grateful.

Our production office number is 212-473-3950, and our e-mail is jlix@aol.com. If you or someone you know would be right for the part, please call us. We will send you script pages which can use to make a videotape.

Estrogen Limits
Stroke Brain Damage

Contributed by Jodie Miller
via Reuters)
August 6, 1998

NEW YORK -- The female hormone estrogen may limitstroke- related brain damage in patients of both sexes , according to astudy in the journal Stroke.

Previous findings suggest that estrogen reduces brain damage in women whosuffer strokes. During a stroke, blood flow to the brain is severelyrestricted, as is the brain's oxygen supply.

Though more women than men suffer strokes, women are more likely to recover than men, research shows. And animal studies find that female ratstypically have one-third less stroke-related brain damage than male rats.

To determine whether estrogen treatment might limit stroke-related braindamage in male rats, a team of researchers, conducted several experiments.They treated one group of male rats with estrogen, and another with saltwater. They then restricted blood flow to the animals' brains, inducingstroke. To determine whether testosterone, the male sex hormone, mightalter the effects of estrogen, the researchers conducted a series ofsimilar experiments with castrated rats. They gave some of the castratedrats estrogen, and others a placebo (inactive substance), beforerestricting blood flow to the animals' brains. Finally, the researchersexamined the brains of all the animals, and measured the extent ofstroke-related brain damage.

The researchers report that rats treated with estrogen had significantlyless brain damage than those given salt water or placebo, the researchersfound. This was the case even among castrated animals, they report.

"Our findings clearly demonstrate that the benefit of estrogen can beextended to the male brain, reducing tissue injury" from stroke, one ofthe research team, Dr. Patricia Hurn of the Johns Hopkins School ofMedicine in Baltimore, Maryland, said in a statement to the press.

"These results are exciting in that they suggest that the neuralprotective effects of estrogen are not gender specific," Dr. Virginia M.Miller of the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota, adds in aneditorial accompanying the study.

Whether estrogen might have the same effects in people, and whetherafter-the fact-estrogen treatment might help prevent brain damage inpatients who have just had strokes remains to be seen, Hurn and colleaguesnote.

Precisely why estrogen limits brain damage is unclear, and also warrantsfurther study, the researchers add.

New Newsgroup
For F2M's

Contributed by Sallyanne Ofner
via Reuters
August 6, 1998

A new newsgroup. alt.support.srs.f-to-m was established in the past few weeks. It is for transmen who are srs-tracked and has been getting new members daily.

Bishops Won't
Ordain or Marry Gays

Contributed by Rachelle Austin
via Reuters
August 5, 1998

CANTERBURY, UK - Anglican bishops from around the world refused on Wednesday to ordain gay priests or bless homosexual couples, handing a stunning defeat to liberal clerics.

After a divisive debate among Church leaders attending the once-in-a-decade Lambeth conference, a compromise resolution was toughened by conservative African bishops who said that homosexuality was against biblical law.

The final resolution was resoundingly backed by 526 bishops and opposed by 70. Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey welcomed the final resolution.

Book Defacer Gets Jail

Contributed by Rachelle Austin
via News Planet
August 5, 1998

Book Defacer Sentenced _ NewsPlanet Staff Thursday, August 6, 1998 / 05:09 PM SUMMARY: The Ohio "moral crusader" who spent 3 years smearing excrement in gay library books will spend 6 months in jail -- and now he says he's sorry. Carl Lenhof, believed over three years to have smeared excrement in some 40 books -- most of them with gay themes from a half-dozen Dayton, Ohio area libraries, was sentenced to 180 days in jail on August 4

Lenhof had earlier pleaded no contest to two counts of criminal damaging and one of telephone harassment, _ the latter in reference to calls he made to the Dayton Lesbian and Gay Center; he had also made harassing calls to the Dayton chapter of the National Organization for Women. In exchange for his plea, two other damaging counts were dropped, and other municipalities in Montgomery County agreed not to prosecute.

Judge Bill Littlejohn was insistent that Lenhof must be punished with more than probation, and sentenced him to 180 days for the harassment and two 90-day terms for the damaging, to be served concurrently; each of the charges has a prescribed maximum sentence of 6 months. However, the judge also suspended $1,000 in fines.

Lenhof was already required to pay more than $500 in restitution for the damaged books. As a result of the jail sentence, Lenhof is likely to lose his job as an electrical engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, when he was only months away from retirement. He also owns a store, Veritas Catholic Books and Gifts.

At the sentencing hearing, he said, "Words cannot express my regret for all the trouble I've caused." T

Assistance Sought On TG Parents Project

Contributed by Jami Ward
August 5, 1998

Are you a Parent? Does your "gender" deviate from someone's "norm"?

If you are gender variant (and, really, how many of us aren't?) and a parent, please take a few minutes and respond to this request. I am gathering stories from parents. This is a totally confidential project that I have undertaken to document how gender variant parents deal with(or are dealt with, in some cases!) being parents and all the attendant things that surround parenthood. As you share your story please consider some of the following questions, but please don't limit your response and/or discussion to these points. I am interested in hearing about YOUR experiences, as you wish to share them.

1) How do you self identify? (for example, Transgendered, Feminine Man,Masculine Woman, Transsexual, Cross Dresser, Drag Queen, Drag King, FtM,MtF, etc.) 2) How many children do you have? What are their ages? 3) Do you identify their sex? (Do they?) How? 4) How old were they when they became aware of your gender variance? 5) How did they become aware? 6) Are they your biological children? 7) If yes to #6, are you their biological father or mother? 8) If no to #6, what is your relationship (adopted, AI,etc.)? 9) What is your relationship to the children's other biological parent(s) (married, divorced, divorce-in-process, no relationship (donors unknown, for example), domestic partnership, etc.)? 10) How is your relationship with the other parent (friendly, hostile, non- communicative,etc.)? 11) How have your children adapted to your gender variance? 12) How have the other "influencers" in your child(ren)'s lives handled your gender variance (other parent, peers, teachers, etc.)? 13) Is there another "significant other" in your life or other new family members to whom your children are exposed? What is the character of those relationships? 14) Have you been involved with the legal system vis-a-vis your children and your gender variance? For example, have you been involved in a custody dispute because of your gender variance, or was it an issue in your divorce? 15) If yes to #14, please share as much of the details of the process and the outcome as you wish. For example, what was the "complaint" if any, what was the outcome of the proceeding, how did you locate your attorney, what were the arguments against you, what were your arguments, did you settle out-of-court, what sort of "custody" or"visitation" was awarded, etc.? 16) Please characterize your relationship now with your children. 17) Are your children now, or have they been,involved in therapy for issues surrounding your gender variance? If so,has the process been helpful to them, in your opinion? In theirs? Would they be interested in participating in a survey oriented to professionals?If so, would you share their contact information, please? 18) Please share any other information that you wish!

What do I intend to do with these stories and this information?

This is the first step in developing an information database and support network for gender-variant parents. At this point, I simply wish to understand the issues that other parents have faced vis-a-vis their children and their gender variance. From this information, I, working with appropriate professionals, intend to develop a formal questionnaire and survey. I then intend to present the results of that more formal survey at major gender conferences. The first would likely be next year, probably the IFGE Coming Together Conference. I anticipate recruiting child psychologists, marriage counselors, attorneys, a panel of gender variant parents, kids with "out" parents, etc. to put on presentations and workshops that address the growing and complex needs of gender variant folk and their offspring. Some of these folk are already well known leaders of our community, are in my database, and have agreed to both the concept and their participation! I will also share the results with all survey participants and anyone else who requests it.

>From that effort, I hope to establish an awareness of the issues and challenges facing those of us gender variant folk that are also struggling with raising children. Eventually, I intend that this work form the foundation for a longer-term study of gender variant parents,optimally a "sanctioned" study (undertaken, for example, by a university)that will provide usable evidence as to the "fitness" of gender variant parents. I anticipate that this work will be similar to that which was conducted in the gay and lesbian communities in the late '70s and '80s andIng believe it will provide usable evidence that gender variant parents are not less fit and their children not less "well-adapted" than any other parent or child.

If you know of a gender variant parent that has not responded to this,please pass this along to them in whatever format is appropriate. Even if you do not have time to respond, or if you do not want to be identified as forwarding this request, please send me any contact information for others that I might use to more widely disseminate this request.

Also, please share, if you wish, your own personal contact information so that you can be included in the more formal survey to follow. Regardless,all responses will be kept in strictest confidence.

My contact information is:Denise Brogan118 So. Westshore Blvd. #255Tampa, FL 33609

Phone: (727) 785-3186 E-Mail: DEBrogan@AOL.com

Thank you very much for your consideration and/or participation.

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